| Refrigerant Recovery Required by EPA |
| Written by Daniel Stouffer | |
| Sunday, 12 April 2009 | |
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New EPA regulations require facilities that use air conditioning and refrigeration equipment to have a refrigerant recovery plan in place. The plan is needed to make sure that any harmful gases that might leak are captured. Refrigerant gases contain hydrofluorocarbons, known to cause severe damage to the ozone layer and to promote global warming.
New EPA regulations require facilities that use air conditioning and refrigeration equipment to have a refrigerant recovery plan in place. The plan is needed to make sure that any harmful gases that might leak are captured. Refrigerant gases contain hydrofluorocarbons, known to cause severe damage to the ozone layer and to promote global warming. A comprehensive plan is now in place to phase out environmentally harmful refrigerants. The refrigerant recovery process will help facilities whose existing equipment requires refrigerant. As new refrigerant will be banned in future, gas recovery is necessary to meet the demand amongst companies who do not plan to immediately replace their existing equipment. There are several purposes for refrigerant recovery, including reclamation, recycling and destruction of hydrofluorocarbons. These initiatives will help reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere, provide a market for the used gas, and cut out the need for new refrigerant. The process of refrigerant recovery starts when equipment is being thrown away or when vapor needs to be eliminated to minimize gas release and maximize refrigerant capture. Such a process involves removing the refrigerant from cooling and refrigeration systems and placing safely elsewhere. Whilst refrigerant recovery is generally handled internally within commercial refrigeration, air conditioning systems and HVAC systems, new EPA regulations insist that facilities monitor and track recovery rates. Certain software vendors specialize in this area and can offer programs which automatically handle this. The federal government is to conduct audits to ensure the proper refrigerant recovery is being conducted. If complete information is not submitted on time, heavy penalties will result. Many companies are now switching from manual processes, which can be time-consuming, to more efficient automated efforts. Large commercial facilities require special techniques for refrigerant recovery due to their high volume. Other programs include a cylinder pump down service, which transfers refrigerant from the system to a cylinder. A cylinder exchange program allows for the reclamation of refrigerant, with a clean cylinder received in exchange. Refrigerant recovery can take place during a retrofit and be used to service other equipment. Once safely removed from the system, the refrigerant is tested for purity at an approved facility, before being shipped to a recycling plant. The Article Author: Daniel Stouffer has much more information on the importance of good refrigerant gas management and more information on refrigerant recovery . |
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